Kidwatching in Josie's World

by Medcalf Neva

"Over twenty years of work and research with homeless children comes together in a scholarly work that puts a real face on the issue of homelessness, especially for children. Most people do not realize that children are among the thousands that are homeless and are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. The public tends to think about the "bum" on the corner with the cardboard sign or those sleeping under the bridges who accost them for a handout. They do not realize that homelessness has an enormous and negative impact on growth, development, and learning for children. This is an issue that affects schools, communities, and society-at-large. Through qualitative observations in a one-room classroom in a homeless shelter and in classrooms of an elementary school located in a subsidized housing project, the development and use of language among homeless children, classroom interactions between students and teachers, and information regarding the effects of homelessness o